Chapter 15
Putting down his quill-pen to flex his fingers, Gorion glanced at the large stack of scrolls on the right-hand side of his desk. He took a deep breath through his nose and then exhaled it in a sigh.
There was the sound of a book-page being turned, and he looked up at the now-familiar sight of the little dwarf lying on a bed with a book balanced upright on his chest. The large, open tome completely obscured his face from view. Gorion watched him for a moment before looking at the floor next to the head of the bed. The stack of books had become a pile.
I may have to do something about this soon.
He then went still, his eye-lids lowering as he contemplated the dwarf.
It's been a week now, and he hasn't spoken to anyone. Except me, that is.
Seemingly feeling the wizard's eyes on him, Dorean tilted the book backwards, bringing his face into view, and returned Gorion's quiet stare with a blinking, unreadable one of his own.
Gorion blinked himself and then looked away. He picked up his quill-pen and got as far as a single sentence before pausing distractedly.
Perhaps it would be best to keep him away from other people.
... or is it?
He frowned at nothing, not noticing the blotted ink from his pen spreading over the parchment.
He is living here now. I cannot expect everybody to just ignore him.
And yet...
He put the pen down again, placed his elbows on the desk and steepled his fingers.
Persuading him to interact with others...is that wise? Or will it lead to disaster?
He lowered his face into his hands, covering and then closing his eyes.
I have no idea what I am doing, am I?
He remained still for a long moment, silently resting his head in his hands.
"You ever fought an ogre?"
He looked up. "Sorry?"
"Ogres. You ever fought one?"
Gorion hesitated, then nodded very slowly. "I have fought some, yes," he said quietly.
"What was the strongest one you fought?"
The wizard was silent for a moment. Then he got up, walked slowly over to the side of the bed, and sat down at the opposite end from Dorean. The little dwarf did not need to move his feet for him; they barely reached the halfway-point of the bed.
They stayed that way for about twenty seconds, unmoving and looking at each other, before Gorion looked up and away, closing his eyes.
"The strongest ogre I have ever fought..." He opened his eyes. "Imaldasz of Ulgarth."
Dorean blinked and cocked his head. "Who's that?"
"She was an elder ogre," replied Gorion. Turning to face the dwarf, he smiled softly at the boy's curious expression. "They are different from other ogres; bigger and taller, with different colours skin and hair."
"They strong?" the dwarf asked, scratching his goatee. Gorion nodded.
"Very strong. They are also generally smarter and more cunning than most other ogres. Many of them could use magic as well."
"And this Imal..."
"Imaldasz."
"She was the strongest one? And you fought her?"
"Yes, I did."
"And won?"
Gorion smiled and nodded quietly. Dorean pushed himself upright to look at him better. The book slid unnoticed from his chest, landing on the bed with a slight 'thump.'
A moment passed with Gorion looking down at the wide-eyed, almost eager expression of the little dwarf. Then his smile deepened and he shifted in his seat to face Dorean better.
"I did not face her alone, though. I was part of a team."
"Were they Harpers?" asked Dorean. Gorion nodded.
"Yes, they were. And we were very, very careful. Before we confronted Imaldasz, we learnt all we could about her and prepared accordingly. We had surprise on our side; she was not aware that we were coming for her."
He paused and briefly closed his eyes for a moment before resuming his tale.
"We defeated her without losing anyone of our own. It was close, however," he added upon seeing Dorean's face. "Very close. Had we not been prepared, and if she had been alerted before we launched our attack, it could have gone much worse."
Dorean nodded silently, his small, round head bobbing back and forth, before lowering his gaze to the book beside him. Gorion looked at the tome as well and then at the dwarf.
"Were there any ogres in it?"
"...yeah," replied Dorean. Gorion's brow furrowed slightly at the hesitation in his voice. He remained still, watching the boy. Dorean picked up the book with one hand, paused, then put it down again.
"I've now read five of them books that had ogres in 'em. And in all o' them, they're always evil, and savage, and 'brutish,'" he said, stretching out the last word. "And they like to eat the ones they kill." He paused, rubbing his tiny, stubby fingers on the cover. "I read that dwarf is their favourite kind of meat." Dorean lifted his gaze to meet Gorion's. "Are they all like that?"
Several long seconds passed. To Gorion, they seemed like minutes. When he opened his mouth to speak, the effort of moving his lips seemed somehow heavier than it should. "Have you ever met or seen an ogre?"
The little dwarf shook his head; the tip of his goatee swung from side to side.
Gorion looked away at the opposite wall. After a moment, he returned his gaze to Dorean.
"Not all ogres are evil, savage or brutish. Nor do they all like to eat their foes. But I will admit, many of the ogres I have come across were bad, though some of them weren't as bad as the ones in your books." He paused."I have met good ogres too; one of the nicest and most kind people I have ever met was an ogre." He paused again and briefly lowered his head. "He was a great friend."
There was silence for a long moment with Dorean quietly looking up at the tall, blue-robed wizard, before Gorion looked back to him.
"And there are others who just want to live their lives." He paused for a few seconds, looking into the dwarf's gray eyes. "Not all ogres are bad people, Dorean." He then sighed softly. "However, yes, most of the ones I have met personally were evil."
Dorean nodded quietly. "Imaldasz...was she evil?"
For a very, very brief moment, Gorion's expression turned hard, and his eyes seemed to glint in the dusty light of the room. When he spoke, however, his voice was as soft and quiet as it was before.
"Yes...yes, she was."
Dorean nodded slowly again. His eyes went to the book beside him, and he slowly picked it up and held it in front of him, turning it over in his hands.
"You ever fought anyone who wasn't evil?"
For a very long time, Gorion went silent, and it seemed that even his breathing had completely ceased.
"...I believe it is nearly time for lunch." He stood up off the bed. "Would you like to accompany me to the kitchen? I would be glad for your company."
The little dwarf blinked up at him, then silently nodded and placed the book down on the bed before slowly stepping off onto the box and then the floor.
Turning the knob for him, Gorion held the door open. Dorean shuffled across the doorway and waited for Gorion to close the door and walk by him before following closely behind the wizard.
..
"M...mom?"
"Close, but not quite," came the slightly teasing reply.
The boy closed his eyes tight, then opened them again. It took a few more minutes before his blurred vision swam into focus. Once again, he looked up at the face of the pink-clad girl sitting next to him. She gave a relieved smile and turned to her left.
"Jaheira, he's awake now."
"I can see that, child."
The druid appeared quickly beside Imoen, leaned forward to examine the boy's face and then his leg, then silently nodded to herself and promptly turned back to her other patient. When he saw his companion, the boy immediately sat up to get a better look.
"He okay? He gonna be alright? I...I-I fell down an-"
"Whoa, easy there, little man," Imoen said reassuringly, repeatedly patting his shoulder. "He's fine. He's just sleeping now; Jaheira is one heckuva healer."
Standing off to the side and facing them instead of keeping lookout, Xzar furrowed his brow in confusion and tilted his head at the words 'little man'; Imoen was barely half a head taller than the boy.
"What's your name?" said Imoen.
"J...Jase," said the boy, looking at her uncertainly. His eyes darted to Xzar and he involuntarily shrank away.
"Oh, don't worry 'bout him," said Imoen. "He may look a little scary, but he's mostly harmless."
Both Jaheira and Jase gave her incredulous looks. Imoen briefly closed her eyes and gave a wide grin.
"You gave us quite a fright when you appeared, walking up all bloody and grisly-like," she said.
"Y...yea," Jase said quietly, lowering his head. Imoen's grin faded slightly as she looked at the boy's face. He may have had friends or family back there.
"I am almost finished with your friend," said Jaheira. They both turned to see her easing what looked like a small, bluish-purple berry into the man's mouth.
"What's she doing?" asked Jase.
"She's giving him magic sweets," replied Imoen.
"Magic sweets?"
"Yep. Berries, actually. I gave you some just now for your leg." She glanced at Jase, expecting him to look at the mentioned limb, but the boy continued to watch his partner instead.
The man gave a loud cough, groaned and opened his eyes. Jase immediately slid sideways across the ground towards him, bumping against Imoen.
"Give him space," said Jaheira, placing a firm hand on the boy's chest to stop his movement. Jase struggled for a few seconds before obeying her and moving back. She then returned her attention to the now-conscious man. "Can you hear me clearly?"
"Y...yes. Yes I can." His eyes went to Jase's face. "You okay, Jase?"
"I-I'm sorry it was so stupid I fell down and we fell down together and-"
"Hush, child!" said Jaheira sharply. Jase instantly fell silent, staring meekly down at his companion. "You must control yourself," she added, her tone softening slightly. Imoen reached over and patted Jase on his broad back. Giving a quick nod of thanks to her, Jaheira turned back to the man.
"What is your name, sir?"
"Andout, miss. I...I am a messenger from Baldur's Gate." He blinked once, then quickly sat up and sprang to his feet with surprising speed. The others stood up as well, Imoen putting an arm around Jase's shoulders.
"Do not over-exert yourself," said Jaheira quickly. "You have only just recovered-"
"But I must dash to Beregost, I must!" said Andout, the words tumbling out of him. "I have an urgent message to deliver from the Grand Dukes!"
Jaheira's admonishing expression immediately become a frown. About ten paces away, Xzar's eyes shone in the shade of the thicket, and he very slightly tilted his head.
"What is this message?" said Jaheira.
"Err...urm...it's...it's confi...den..." said Andout, withering under Jaheira's stare. "...It is for Governor Kelddath Ormlyr. He is to make accommodations for a garrison force due to arrive from the city."
"The town's being garrisoned?" said Imoen, ignoring Jaheira's frown. "What for?"
"War with Amn," said Xzar softly. Everyone looked at him. The wizard tilted his head further, his eyes half-lidded and the ghost of a smile on his lips.
"Y-yes," said Andout, looking away from Xzar to Imoen and Jase. "The Grand Dukes believe that Amn is preparing to attack."
Jaheira crossed her arms, then brought one of them up to rub her chin. "This is ill news indeed."
"Yes it is. Which is why I must reach Beregost with all haste!"
"It would not be wise to resume your journey along your previous route," said Jaheira sagely, glancing at Jase who still had Imoen's arm around his shoulders. Andout hesitated, looking at Jase as well, and nodded glumly.
"Our friends are scouting the road ahead to see if it's safe," said Imoen. She looked up at the aforementioned road. "They should be coming back by now," she added, her voice lowering and tinged with uncertainty.
"They are, in fact," said Jaheira. Imoen blinked and looked at her.
"How d'you know that?"
Jaheira silently turned around to face the road. Blinking rapidly and still supporting Jase, Imoen exchanged looks with Andout. They all fell silent, facing the same direction as Jaheira.
A few minutes later, Dorean, Khalid and Montaron appeared, jogging out of the forest from the opposite side of the road.
Imoen immediately let go of Jase and stepped forward. When the trio reached the edge of the thicket, she made a beeline for Dorean, passing by Khalid and Montaron.
"Hey-" exclaimed the dwarf, stumbling in mid-run as she threw her arms around his head and smothered his beard.
"Oh thank Tymora! I was so worried," breathed Imoen. Leaning back with her hands on his shoulders, her eyes widened upon seeing specks of blood on his face. "Are you-"
"I'm okay, Imoen, I'm okay," said Dorean, raising his hands in a reassuring gesture. "It's not my blood."
He looked past her, his eyes moving quickly over the faces of their present company; all of them were now looking at him and Imoen.
His gaze lingered on Xzar; the wizard's head was now tilted far to the side, almost at a 45-degree angle, and his eyes were wide-open and shimmering. Dorean blinked and quickly looked away.
He then stepped back out of Imoen's arms, removed the arrow quiver from around his shoulders and handed it to her. She blinked and took it instinctively, then looked down and turned around to see that he had already walked by her to join the others. Slinging the quiver over her shoulder, she hurried over to stand beside him.
For a brief moment, Khalid's eyes went to Xzar for a few seconds before he then gave a nod in turn to Jase and Andout. "It is g-good to see that you have r-recovered. We were very worried."
Xzar noticed Dorean and Montaron exchanging glances. His eyes narrowed at Khalid.
"Thank you for your help," said Andout, bowing his head to Khalid and then looking at Jaheira. "If you hadn't come along when you did..."
"Did you see anyone else who was with us?" asked Jase anxiously. Khalid's expression became solemn, and he shook his head. Jase stared blankly at him, breathing in and out, before lowering his gaze to the ground. Andout placed an arm around him and gave his shoulder a squeeze. The boy leaned silently against him.
Khalid looked at them sadly for a moment before turning to Jaheira.
"The area ahead is not s-safe," he said softly. "There are too m-many of them, and they are st-still down the road."
"An' he killed a couple'a sentries an' din't bother ta hide the bodies," said Montaron, jerking a thumb at Dorean.
There was a sharp intake of breath from beside the dwarf. He glanced sideways at Montaron but said nothing, ignoring Imoen's hand tightly squeezing his shoulder. Khalid rounded angrily on the halfling.
"That would never have happened if you didn't-"
"They must've found the bodies by now," said Montaron, ignoring Khalid and looking up at Jaheira. "Could be comin' this way already." He glanced at Andout and Jase. Noticing this, Jaheira stared coldly down at the halfling. For a brief second, her eyes went to Dorean before she turned to former caravan travellers.
"Do you still wish to go to Beregost?"
"Y...yes," replied Andout. "I have to get there. This message is important."
Jase continued to look at the ground in silence.
Jaheira looked at both of them for a moment before nodding.
"You should come with us, then. We must move east to avoid the attackers, then divert south to Beregost."
"That...that will take us through the trees and hills," said Andout. "It will take hours, and Jase is..."
"I can walk, thanks," said the boy, his tone now bitter and childish. He did not lift his head.
"But still..."
"We have little choice in the matter, and so do you," said Jaheira. With that, she turned to face Montaron.
"You and your partner," she glanced at Xzar. "Should with us. Unless you have an alternative means to reach the town?" she added, her tone now slightly mocking along with the usual ice.
Montaron stared silently up at her. Glancing sideways at him, Dorean could almost see the wheels turning in his pony-tailed head.
After a moment, Montaron's eyes flicked to Andout and Jase. Both of them flinched.
"They stumble, fall behind, it's ye problem."
He turned and walked away. Khalid and Jaheira's eyes followed him. The half-elves then looked at each other for a moment before Khalid turned to Andout and Jase.
"We need to g-go now. D-do either of you need help?"
"No, we are fine, thank you," replied Andout, though he looked at Jase again. "Both of you," he added to Jaheira. "We will not be a burden, I promise." He looked at Montaron's retreating back, then glanced over his shoulder nervously at Xzar, who noticed and raised his hand in a motionless wave.
"Just st-stay close to us," said Khalid softly. He attempted to pat Jase on the shoulder not covered by Andout's hand, but the boy shrugged him away. Seeing this, Imoen lowered her head and then looked at Dorean beside her.
"Was anyone left alive over there? Maybe taken prisoner?" she asked softly.
"I don't know," replied Dorean. "Maybe." He paused. "They were finishing off the wounded."
Imoen went quiet for a moment, watching Jase sadly. She then gave a sniff and lifted her head, then paused for a few seconds.
"Little brother...why do ya smell of-"
He made an unintelligible sound of irritation through his beard. Imoen immediately stopped talking.
A few minutes later, after gathering their belongings and ensuring that Andout and Jase could walk unsupported, they all resumed their journey with Montaron in the lead and Xzar in the rear.
As they made their way back north along the road and towards the hills, Dorean noticed Andout looking at him and resisted the urge to tug his hood lower over his face. He turned his head away, adjusting the crossbow on his back to cover the movement, then quickened his pace to move ahead of Andout, Jase and the Harpers. Blinking at this, Imoen hurried over beside him, ignoring the stench now emanating from the dwarf.
..
With Montaron leading and setting a quick pace, the party only had to travel north for about an hour before turning east. The going proved more difficult after they went off the road and began climbing the eastward hill, though Montaron refused to stop or slow down for the others.
Eventually, after a gruelling half-hour, they reached the top of the hill. Lifting his hand to shield his eyes from the afternoon sun, Dorean squinted as he gazed upon a yellow-brown, sun-baked plain littered with tall, coniferous trees in contrast to the forests behind and below them.
Glad the climb's over, but there's much less cover, he thought, glancing back down at the forests behind and below him and then at the sun slowly approaching the horizon. We should not tarry here.
Montaron was already a short distance ahead; apparently, he had not paused to even catch his breath.
"He's in a real hurry, isn't he?" said Imoen. "You think we're gonna meet this dwarf friend of his?"
"Somehow," replied Dorean, tilting his head and eyeing Montaron's face. "I don't think 'friend' would be the right word."
For a moment, Dorean and Imoen watched the halfling waiting impatiently for them before turning to see Khalid and Jaheira helping Andout and Jase over the last leg of the hill-slope.
Xzar was the last to arrive; unperturbed by the uneven ground, he stepped up onto the hill-crest with his hands clasped behind his back, humming softly to himself.
Is he doing that just to annoy them? Dorean thought, glancing at Khalid and Jaheira's expressions. At least he's not pretending to attack them this time.
They set off once more across the plain, grateful that their climb was at an end.
Jase had been quiet and downcast since they left the thicket, and aside from the occasional wheeze and wince of pain due to their marching, he had said nothing.
His mood was clearly beginning to weigh on the Harpers. Despite facing resolutely ahead and occasionally narrowing her eyes at Montaron's back, Jaheira could not help but glance at her husband's repeated looks over his shoulder at the boy.
Imoen then fell back to walk beside Jase and Andout, passing close to Jaheira along the way.
"Here," she said to Jase, taking his hand, holding it up and depositing a handful of berries into it. "For your leg."
The boy looked at them, at Imoen, then took one, chewed, and made a face. "They taste iffy. Hey!" he added when Imoen took one for herself.
"What?" she said. "You just said you don't like them."
"I never said that!" he replied loudly. "I just said they taste iffy!"
"Their purpose is medical, not culinary," said Jaheira, glancing at them over her shoulder. "And please do not attempt to steal from me again, Imoen," she added sternly. "If you had asked, I would have given them to you."
"Sorry, Jaheira," chimed the pink girl. "Forgot ta ask first."
"A likely story," Jaheira replied. "You should finish those, young man," she added to Jase. "They will speed your recovery."
"I said I can walk," Jase grumbled, though he looked down and away from Jaheira's one-eyed gaze and took another berry. "Ugh."
"I'm fine," said Andout quickly when Jaheira looked at him, glancing at Jase's berry-eating expression. The half-elf frowned and turned away.
"I haveta agree with Jase, Jaheira," said Imoen, making a face as she swallowed her berry. "These don't taste so good. Maybe if you add some flavour to them? Can druids do that?"
"You have very strange ideas of what is granted to servants of Nature, child," replied Jaheira without turning around. Dorean caught Khalid's eye and exchanged smiles with him, though Khalid did tilt his head and blink; it was difficult for him to tell with Dorean's beard.
She's helping him get his mind off of what happened earlier.
"DIIIIEEEEE!"
Everyone (including Montaron) whirled around, Dorean and Khalid reaching for their weapons while Jaheira raised her quarterstaff, to see Xzar flinging something off to the side. There was a thunk and a single high-pitched chirp.
With a cry of triumph, Xzar hurried over and reached down, then grasped and held up by its tail the body of a large, grey-furred squirrel. Without pausing to remove the throwing dagger embedded in its side, Xzar turned around and held it up high to the party.
Andout and Jase stared at him, their expressions mortified. Dorean, Imoen and Khalid immediately looked at Jaheira; the woman's right eye and the fingers of her right hand were now twitching. Dorean then quickly glanced at Montaron; the halfling was seemingly watching the scene with a detached indifference, but had placed one hand behind his back.
Khalid took Jaheira by the shoulders and steered her away from Xzar, who lowered the carcass and pouted at the lack of applause.
"That was a great throw, Xzar," said Imoen, walking up to him. "Where did you learn to throw knives like that?"
Xzar's eyes widened dramatically and he wagged a finger from side to side at her, shaking his head. "Now, now, my young one. Be not asking questions ye don't want th' answers to, eh?"
Imoen blinked, looked at Montaron, then at Xzar again. "Why are you being mean to Monty?"
Xzar's shoulder and finger sagged, and he simply stared down at the pink girl with a perplexed expression. She stared back, then reached out with both hands and took hold of the dead squirrel. Blinking, he let go of its tail, relinquishing it to her.
"I've never had squirrel before," she said, removing the throwing dagger and handing it to Xzar without looking at him. The wizard took the weapon without looking away from her face, his expression dumbfounded. Ignoring the blood, Imoen examined the animal for several more seconds before looking at Dorean. "Do they taste like rat?"
Dorean paused, then shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. They're more lean and stringy. I still prefer rat, though." He looked up, aware of the others' eyes on him. "I sometimes eat cooked rat," he explained. "If you do not wish me to..." he added to Jaheira. The druid watched him for a few seconds before silently looking away.
"Hmm," said Imoen. "Well, thanks all the same, Xzar, but we're all hastin' to get to Beregost, Montaron especially, so I don't think we'd have time to cook anything now. We can later, though."
"...alright."
Imoen smiled, handed back the dead squirrel, wiped her hands on the thighs of her trousers, and walked back to the others.
"You said he was harmless," said Jase, his tone nervous and accusing.
Imoen paused. "I said he was mostly harmless."
Montaron gave a loud grunt to display his impatience before turning around to continue walking.
As they resumed their journey, Dorean glanced at Jase; the boy was no longer staring at the ground and instead was shooting glances at Xzar behind them; the wizard had tucked the squirrel by its tail into his belt and resumed his humming, again to the tune of a song he could not recognize and yet somehow found familiar.
Well. That certainly got him out of the gloom. The dwarf glanced at Xzar and narrowed his gray eyes. Maybe that was his intention.
..
The sun continued its descent toward the horizon, and Imoen's chipper demeanour slowly faded with it.
Dorean looked up at her and hesitated before speaking. "Something on your mind?"
"Hm? Oh." She shook her head, seemingly more to herself than to him, and looked behind her. "I'm worried about Jase."
The dwarf joined her in subtly watching the boy. Despite Jase's claims to the contrary, Montaron's forced marching along with the climb up the hill had clearly taken its toll on him; his breathing had become audible rasps, and he was frequently clutching at his leg. Andout, whose shoulder Jase was now half-leaning on for support, noticed and returned Dorean and Imoen's gazes with a concerned expression. Imoen then stopped walking and turned to fully face them.
"Jaheira?" she called, looking past Andout and Jase to the half-elf. "How much longer d'you think it'll be until we reach the town?"
Jaheira hesitated as Andout turned to look at her, but only for a second. "I estimate no more than an hour, if we keep to our current speed and-"
She stopped, her back straightening. Noticing this, Khalid immediately drew his sword and followed Jaheira as she hurried to the front. The others watched as they moved past Montaron, dropping to half-crouches. Dorean and Imoen looked at each other before moving up to join them. Xzar remained at the back with Andout and Jase, his arms folded and still softly whistling.
"What is it?" said Imoen, her voice tinged with both excitement and apprehension as they reached Khalid and Jaheira crouching behind a large, light-brown pointed rock.
"Get down now," hissed Khalid, and Imoen immediately dropped to a low crouch and hiked her short-bow and two quivers before moving beside the half-elves. Dorean simply remained upright and walked up to join them.
"Below those two trees," said Jaheira, pointing with her chin.
Hidden in the shade of the branches, with its legs lazily splayed out upon the ground, was an ogre, eating a human leg like it was that of a chicken.
Dorean went very still, all emotion draining out of his face.
His father gave a single gesture and the two ogres in front of them instantly exploded...
"Little brother?" said Imoen, looking down at him uncertainly.
Blinking and shaking his head, Dorean quickly looked up at her. "C'mon," she added after a moment's hesitation, gesturing with her head to Jaheira who was now moving back to join the others and signalling to them to do the same.
Feeling Khalid's hand on his shoulder, Dorean averted his gaze from both him and Imoen, instead nodding quietly and hurrying to join them.
..
"Never seen one of them before," said Imoen.
"Me too," said Jase. "Gosh, you see how tall it was? As big as this tree here," he added, pointing up at one of the several trees they were gathered under.
"Any of you fought those things before?" said Andout, his voice anxious and shaking. He looked away and crossed his trembling arms. "Gods, this was a mistake, I shouldn't've..."
"We have heard of an ogre attacking passing travellers in this area," said Jaheira, ignoring him. "Apparently, it has a fetish for enchanted belts."
"Where did you hear this?" asked Dorean. Jaheira gazed coolly at him for a moment.
"From a dwarf in the Friendly Arm. According to her, she managed to convince it to let her live in exchange for her magic girdle."
Breathing in deeply, Jaheira looked away from the group in the direction where they had last seen the ogre.
"This one picked a good vantage point; there is very little cover beyond this area."
She then looked at Khalid, and they nodded in unison.
"Andout, stay here with Jase," said Khalid. He then turned to Dorean and Imoen. "We will draw its attention. Try to you get around behind it. Stay close together, keep your distance from us, and aim high, at its head. Jaheira and I will-"
"I say we sneak past it now, while its eatin'," Montaron interrupted. Khalid slowly turned his gaze upon the halfling.
"And leave it to prey upon another group?" said Jaheira.
"Ain't our problem," Montaron shrugged.
"You surprise me, Montaron," said Jaheira, her tone now mocking. "I thought that you would relish an opportunity to kill another living being."
Dorean inhaled sharply and Imoen bit her bottom lip. Montaron narrowed his eyes slightly, then smirked and raised his eyebrow. "I usually do, but we ain't got time fer that."
"Sneaking past it is not viable for us as a group. We simply are too many in number," said Jaheira. She then narrowed her eyes to slits. "But you have already considered this, haven't you?"
Montaron shrugged. "One'a us falls, distracts it, that's fine wit' me."
"Does that include your partner?" Jaheira pointed at Xzar with her staff.
"S'fine with him too," Montaron replied smoothly. Everyone else looked at Xzar, who simply nodded and gave the halfling an all-too-friendly smile. The dead squirrel was still hanging from his belt, and he had made no attempt to cease the blood dripping from its dagger-wound. it seemed that Xzar found it more amusing to display in front of Jaheira rather than stow it away in his pack.
Dorean looked back to Khalid and tensed when he noticed a muscle twitching in the man's jaw.
Khalid took a step towards Montaron, whose smirk immediately disappeared along with all emotion on his face, when an idea suddenly formed in Dorean's head.
"The two people who were with this dwarf, were they armed?" he said quickly.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"...n-n-no," said Khalid. "T-they were simple peasants."
Dorean lowered his head and stroked his beard, then began pacing back and forth.
"What are ya thinking of?" asked Imoen. Dorean stopped, looked up at her, then went over to her, eased Gorion's pack from her shoulders, deftly opened it and began rummaging through its contents.
The others all watched him silently, Xzar tilting his head and Montaron frowning as he scrutinized the dwarf.
"Here," said Dorean several seconds later. Holding it in both hands, he drew out a wide, sturdy belt and presented it to the group.
Imoen, Khalid and Jaheira's expressions immediately changed, and Imoen slowly reached out and took the item from Dorean.
"That is the Belt of Antipode," said Jaheira, her voice barely above a whisper.
"...Mister G used to wear this when he was showing us his ice spells," said Imoen, looking at the images of moons and ice floes engraved into the belt. "He said it protects him from his own magic...and that it also keeps him warm when it's cold."
Dorean slowly moved his eyes to Xzar; the wizard's head was now lowered, and he too was staring at the belt. Despite the dwarf's low-light vision, the man's long, wild hair made it near-impossible to make out his expression.
"Y-you wish to b-bargain with the ogre?" said Khalid. The dwarf blinked and quickly away from Xzar to him.
"I do not agree with this," said Jaheira, her voice suddenly firm and more than a little angry. "You are proposing that we give his...that, to that brute?"
"You said it yourself; there is a way to convince it to let others through."
"No. I will not have it," said Jaheira, tightening her lips and glaring piercingly at the dwarf.
Dorean paused, then looked up at Imoen's face for a moment before slowly walking past her towards Jaheira. "The important thing right now is for all of us to get to Beregost safely," he said softly and calmly. "All of us," he added, glancing at Montaron who was still watching him intently. Dorean then paused, looking up into Jaheira's eyes. "I am sure Father will understand."
"You are sure," said Jaheira, her tone now derisive and sneering.
"Jaheira..." Khalid said quietly from beside her. The woman's shoulders trembled very slightly as she looked down at the dwarf standing before her.
Forcing himself not to blink, Dorean continued to match her gaze. He breathed in and out deeply, causing his beard to flutter slightly.
"Let me do the talking, and if I fail...I will leave it to you."
There was silence for a long moment as the others watched Dorean and Jaheira. Then Jaheira slowly lifted her head, her gaze still on the dwarf.
"Andout. Jase."
"Y...yes?" said Andout.
"Keep behind me and Khalid. If it goes bad," she paused, still looking at Dorean. "Stay low and keep back as far as you can."
"I...yes, ma'am."
"Good," said Jaheira. "Well then," she added, looming over Dorean. "Your move."
Resisting the urge to blink, Dorean nodded, then turned around and walked back to Imoen. They both looked at the belt in her hands, and Dorean hesitated, staring at the engraved symbols on it.
Then, as he made to move past her, she stopped him with a hand across his face and onto his far shoulder.
"Little brother...are you sure about this?" she whispered, barely moving her lips.
He paused for a long moment, looking up into her eyes, then looked away and gently pushed her arm aside.
As he led the party out from under the trees, from somewhere close and far away, he heard the ringing laughter of Flannery's bandits, and his eyes narrowed into slits as he slowly and silently grinded his teeth behind his beard.
We are not spending another night in the wilderness.
..
If Montaron had any objections, he chose not to voice them; instead, he silently obeyed Dorean's instructions to the party to all stand in one line next to each other. Imoen ended up in the middle between Xzar and Khalid, a pink-clad barrier between the Zhents and the rest of the group.
With Dorean leading the way, they headed directly for the ogre's position.
The creature froze and straightened as soon as they came into view. For a moment, it simply stared at them, its beady eyes blinking in surprise at the eight people marching straight towards it. Then with a guttural, rumbling growl, it dropped the half-eaten human leg, lumbered to its feet, hefting an enormous stone hatchet in one hand.
"Hold, mighty one!" called the leading and smallest one of the group. The ogre stopped in mid-step with the hatchet raised over its head. "We come in friendship!"
The group stopped. So did the ogre, staring in bewilderment at nobody drawing their weapons, charging, or running away.
"Hail and well-met, mighty one," said the smallest one. Squinting at its beard, the ogre vaguely recognized it as a dwarf. "It is an honour to meet you. I am Dorn, and these are my fellow travellers. What is your name, mighty one?"
The ogre paused, then slowly lowered its hatchet, its bewildered expression now laced with puzzlement.
"...Og," it heard itself speak.
"Og the Mighty," said the dwarf, bowing low. "We thank you, for keeping this area safe. No monster or bandit would now dare prey on your land."
The ogre's eyes went from the dwarf and swept across the other figures. They lingered on Xzar and Montaron and then narrowed.
"Talky-dwarf trying to trick Og!" it suddenly bellowed. "Og not trust Talky-dwarf! Og will crush you! Crush you to-"
"This is no trick, O Mighty Og!" shouted the dwarf, raising his arms up high. The ogre stopped and dumbly lowered its hatchet again. "We did not come with empty words of thanks and praise; we came bearing tribute."
Keeping the ogre in his peripheral vision, Dorean turned and nodded to Imoen. She blinked at him, looked at the ogre, then gave what she hoped was a warm, friendly smile and handed her roommate the belt. The ogre immediately went still, beady eyes shining as they locked onto the item.
"We were told that you place these in high value," said Dorean. "Please accept this as a sign of our gratitude to you, for all that you have done to keep this region safe."
The ogre paused, looking from the belt to Dorean to the other travellers and to the belt again.
It watched as the talkative dwarf reverently placed the belt on the ground, stepped backwards, bowed, then turned and walked away. The others looked at him and then at the ogre before following him.
Jaheira hesitated for a moment, looking at the belt, before Khalid placed a hand under her elbow and steered away gently but firmly away.
The party walked quickly away from the ogre, shooting glances at it over their shoulders. It watched them quietly for a moment before lumbering over to the belt, picking it up with a thumb and forefinger and examining it, then staring at them again, its expression still confused and puzzled.
"I...I can't believe that worked," Andout breathed once they were out of sight.
"N-neither d-do I," said Khalid. "T-that was incredible, Dorean."
"Shoulda been a bard wit' a mouth like that," Montaron commented.
Jaheira wordlessly marched past all of them, back straightened and staring straight ahead. Imoen watched her go, then moved up beside Dorean.
She blinked once, looking down at the face hidden beneath a lowered hood and beard, then slowly reached over and took his hand, giving it a light squeeze. He did not squeeze back, but did not make her relinquish her grip on it.
Looking away from her, Dorean then glanced to his right.
Xzar was now making wide strides across the grass, his hands once again clasped behind his back and below his pack. His head was tilted up to the night sky, allowing his hair to fall away from his face.
The wizard began to hum softly to himself, and this time Dorean recognized the song.
The Wizards' Tune.
His gray eyes lingered on the small, strange smile etched on Xzar's face. Glancing sideways at him, the man's smile deepened as he carried on humming.
Behind them, supporting a near-exhausted Jase between himself and Andout, Khalid looked from Xzar to Dorean and Imoen and then back to Xzar again. His eye-lids narrowed and jaw tightened.
Glancing at the Calishite, Montaron's eyes went to Dorean and Imoen holding hands and walking side-by-side, and he turned his head slightly to hide his smirk from Andout.